Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about StartRight
General Questions
StartRight is a free career exploration platform that helps you discover careers that match your interests, skills, and goals. We provide comprehensive data on 300+ occupations, including salary information, education requirements, personality matching, and automation risk assessments.
Yes! StartRight is completely free to use. We don't charge for any features, sell courses, or collect payment information. Our mission is to make career exploration accessible to everyone, especially students and young adults.
No! You can explore all careers without creating an account. Your saved careers and favorites are stored locally in your browser, so you can access them anytime on the same device.
Data & Accuracy
All salary data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. This is the most authoritative source for employment and wage data in the United States, updated annually.
We update our database whenever the BLS releases new data (typically annually). The current data reflects the most recent BLS publications. Career information, skills, and tasks come from O*NET, which is also updated regularly by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The salaries shown are national median values. Actual salaries vary significantly by location, experience, employer, and other factors. Use our data as a starting point, but research salaries specific to your area for more accurate expectations.
Features & Tools
Automation Risk indicates how likely a job is to be automated or replaced by technology in the coming years. It's scored from 0-100%:
- Low (0-33%): Minimal risk - jobs requiring creativity, complex problem-solving, or human interaction
- Medium (33-66%): Moderate risk - some tasks may be automated
- High (66-100%): Higher risk - routine or repetitive tasks that technology can perform
Work-Life Balance is scored on a scale of 0-10 based on factors like typical work hours, stress levels, schedule flexibility, and physical demands. A score of 7+ indicates excellent work-life balance, 5-7 is good, and below 5 may involve long hours or high stress.
RIASEC is the Holland Code personality system used by career counselors. It includes six types:
- Realistic (Doers): Hands-on, practical work
- Investigative (Thinkers): Research, analysis, problem-solving
- Artistic (Creators): Creative and expressive activities
- Social (Helpers): Working with and helping people
- Enterprising (Leaders): Leadership, persuasion, business
- Conventional (Organizers): Structure, data, and organization
Using StartRight
Click the heart icon on any career card to save it to your favorites. Saved careers appear in the "Saved Careers" section on the home page. You can compare up to multiple saved careers side-by-side.
Yes! Save careers to your favorites, then click the "Compare" button to see them side-by-side. You can compare salaries, education requirements, automation risk, work-life balance, skills, and more.
Try searching with different keywords or browsing by category. Our database includes 300+ occupations from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. If a career isn't listed, it may be too niche or new to have comprehensive government data.
Privacy & Support
No. We don't collect personal information. Your saved careers are stored locally in your browser only. We don't track, sell, or share any user data. See our Privacy Policy for details.
Please use our Contact page and select "Data Issue / Inaccuracy" from the category dropdown. Provide details about what you found, and we'll investigate and update our database if needed.
Absolutely! We'd love to hear your ideas. Visit our Contact page and select "Feature Request" to share your suggestions.
The accommodation filter helps you find careers that may be more compatible with specific needs. Scores are calculated using O*NET work context data (57 factors like sitting time, social interaction, time pressure) and abilities data (52 abilities including physical, sensory, and cognitive requirements). It includes filters for mobility, vision, hearing, chronic conditions, neurodivergence, and remote work compatibility.
Important: This is an informational tool only meant to assist your career exploration, not limit it. These compatibility scores are calculated from O*NET work context and abilities data reflecting typical job requirements and should not discourage you from pursuing any career that interests you. Every workplace is different, and with proper accommodations and assistive technology, people with disabilities succeed in all types of careers. Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Always consult with vocational rehabilitation specialists for personalized career guidance.